Delhi breathes easy, air quality index at 65

Respite to be brief as reduced wind speed to result in slight dip in air quality today, says Met
For representational purposes
For representational purposes

NEW DELHI: Delhiites woke up to clear skies and pleasant weather on Friday, with the air a lot more breathable than it has been in the recent past.

In a significant shift in trend from the previous weeks, the city’s overall air quality index (AQI), recorded by the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) under the Union Ministry of Earth Sciences, dropped to a mere two digits. At 65, the city’s overall AQI was recorded in the ‘satisfactory’ category.

However, the Met office said the respite from foul air would be short-lived as the AQI, on Saturday, would inch up to 133 due to a drop in wind speed.

“The overall Delhi AQI was in the satisfactory category on the 29th of November morning...The fire counts on 28th November as per SAFAR multi-satellite product estimate is 77 only. The stubble transport-level winds are easterly. No significant stubble impact is expected in Delhi for tomorrow (sic),” the SAFAR stated.

Earlier this month, a public health emergency was declared twice across Delhi-NCR as the AQI reached the 500 mark — the ‘severe plus’ or ‘emergency’ category on the SAFAR scale. 

According to the SAFAR model forecast, the AQI is likely to deteriorate marginally to the higher end of the ‘moderate’ category overnight before slipping to the ‘poor’ category on Saturday.

“We expect the minimum temperature to drop to 10°C in the coming days. However, the maximum temperature would hover around the 24 degree mark over the next few days,” a senior scientist from the India Meteorological Department (IMD), said.

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